Rest and Recovery

This Is Your Wake-Up Call

Sleep is a key weapon in any cyclist’s arsenal—but the alarming fact is, most of us don’t get enough. Here’s how to clean up your bedtime habits so you can ride stronger and faster.

leah flickinger

Image: Gérard Dubois

The devices contain sensors that record movements and brain signals, data that are supposed to indicate whether I get a good night’s rest. Both will help me get more quality out of my time in the sack. Or so the marketing materials claim. But for someone who already has a tough time drifting off, the idea of dressing up like Björn Borg for bed doesn’t hold much appeal. Still, if there’s a chance I’ll be less tired during the day and have more energy simply to ride, it’s worth a shot. I settle on the wristwatch and curl up under the covers.

THE CYCLIST’S SLEEP PARADOX
It turns out I’m hardly the only one with a saga of sleep deprivation. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 75 percent­ of American adults have slumber problems and nearly as many of us don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

It’s puzzling to me that a life-­sustaining biggie—as critical as food, water, and oxygen—should be a challenge for so many of us. It’s the linchpin for such ­essential body processes as digestion, hormonal balance, and immunity, among others. And for cyclists and other active types, it’s a surprisingly powerful factor in performance. The time you spend snoozing is when the body works behind the scenes to churn out key hormones that help repair and rebuild muscle, so you get fitter and stay injury-free. It’s also when your brain ­solidifies cognitive skills that allow you to, say, finesse a paceline or know when you should shift gears.

One study found that getting two hours less sleep than normal impairs your ability to perform physical tasks to a level similar to having pounded a few beers. You may already be familiar with that feeling, but it probably hasn’t landed you on any podiums. And it’s not exactly safe. “The more sleep-deprived you are,” says sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, “the slower your reaction time is,” an extra level of risk when you’re navigating a traffic-snarled commute, a tight pack, or pedestrians on a towpath.

Lack of sleep can mess with your head in other ways, too. When you’re dragging, “your perception of a ride will change,” Breus says. “It won’t feel like as much fun and will seem like more of an effort.” What’s more, some research links getting less sleep to an increased perception of pain. In other words, you’ll feel like you’re hitting your ­physical limit faster than you would if you were well rested.

As an athlete, I should find that sleep comes easier than it actually does. Physical activity has long been associated with more restful slumber. But I’m not convinced that the exercise-sleep connection always delivers on its promise. When I mention this apparent disconnect to Breus, he confirms my ­suspicions: Athletes may be extra vulnerable to sleep problems, particularly if we’re training hard. “One of the first signs of overtraining is insomnia,” he says. Even if you’re not putting in big training hours, chances are your riding schedule is fairly regimented, especially if you’re also juggling a job and a family.